NICK MALONE and Sean Cooper both enjoyed comfortable victories in the Dunlop Irish Open junior tennis championships at Fitzwilliam yesterday.
Neither player came under any sort of threat as the best efforts of Karl Cooley and Brian Tynan were dispatched with consummate ease. Cooper did not drop a game, while Malone, a Greystones youngster of some promise, lost only one.
David Mullins, the top seed, will not feel any less secure for losing seven games to a quite formidable opponent in David Marray.
Mullins came through a stiff examination, 6-3 6-4. In his path, looms the potential threat of Gary Kilduff, the number four seed, and Joe Green.
Munster players continue to make an impact with Paul Brickley, Martin Black and Tomas Droney clinching quarter final places in the minor singles and Tipperary girl Emma Heffernan impressing by winning a final set to love over Aoife Turner.
Niall Turner went through, as did David Hyland in the junior boys, but early surprise packet, Conor O'Callaghan bowed out.
Aoife O Neill belongs to a well known Limerick sporting family. Her brothers Sean and Owen figure in Sunday week's AllIreland hurling final. Today, she opens her bid in the under 18 championship against Stephanie Shephard.
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